Selecting the players, games and kits from Old Gold history he deems to be the most underrated is Wolves writer and supporter for more than 60 years, Charlie Bamforth.
Goalkeeper | Mark Kendall
Kendall made the mistake of yelling back at a minority of supporters who heckled him. The burly ex-Spur deserved better. Immense and vocal figure between the sticks in Wolves’ return from the old fourth division to the second, before handing the gloves to Mike Stowell. Cheerful, big team player.
Defender | David Woodfield
How do you follow Wright and Slater as centre half? By being ultra brave, commanding, fit as a butcher’s dog and playing to your strengths. ‘Duggie’ always had sleeves rolled up, a trojan for almost 10 years and he loved to play centre forward, scoring five goals in four successive games in 1965/66.
Midfielder | Bobby Woodruff
The first lauded long throw-in specialist. Woodruff was a Wiltshire lad who was strong and peripatetic. Another who love to get into the number 9 shirt. He hit 21 goals in 72 first-team appearances for Wolves, a ratio surpassing other midfielders through the years at Molineux.
Forward | Frank Wignall
‘The Doog’ had a succession of worthy partners before the best of them all, John Richards, but of King John’s predecessors, surely the best was ‘The Tank’. I can see Peter Bonetti now, a flattened cat bulldozed into the net by the handsome smiling Lancastrian who hit 16 goals in 36 games in gold and black.
Manager | Ted Vizard
Appointed manager during the Second World War, and with the daunting task of replacing Major Buckley, Vizard signed Bert Williams, Bill Shorthouse, Billy Crook, Johnny Hancocks, Jesse Pye, Roy Swinbourne and Sammy Smyth, amongst others. In his two post-war seasons in charge, Wolves finished third and fifth in the top division.
Shirt | 1893-1925 home
Bold black and gold vertical stripes. We may have more recently embraced pinstriped black on a gold background, but there would be something refreshingly retro about re-adopting the wide striped look that several great clubs have embraced over the years – and it would have to be true Old Gold.
Match | Wolves 8-1 Man City, 1962
There were nervous feelings at Molineux as Wolves kicked off the new season after a dismal 1961/62. Stan Cullis picked a bunch of kids for the opener, with Thomson, Goodwin, Woodfield, Wharton and Hinton collectively boasting fewer than 60 games. Trautmann was beaten four times by Farmer, twice by Murray, once each by Wharton and Hinton.
Season | 1987/88
Champions of the fourth division, a narrow loss to Manchester City in the Littlewoods Cup, a draw with Everton in the Mercantile Trophy at Wembley and then another visit to the great stadium to lift the Sherpa Van Trophy over Burnley, plus the arrival of Gary Bellamy and Keith Downing.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2025/26 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
